Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 55-year-old Joseph Conti of Buffalo has been sentenced to 1 year in jail by State Supreme Court Justice Deborah A. Haendiges.

The defendant admitted that on June 23, 2019, at approximately 9:50 a.m., he blocked the driver side door of his estranged wife’s vehicle with his body, which prevented her from attending services at a church on Gold Street in the City of Buffalo. When Conti refused to leave, the victim became fearful and drove away in her vehicle. The defendant knowingly violated a non-offensive conduct order of protection.

At the time of the incident, Conti was on probation after pleading guilty to one count of Criminally Negligent Homicide for causing a fire in his home in January 2018 that resulted in the death of his son. He admitted to violating the terms of probation. He will be sentenced on the probation violation in February 2020.

Conti pleaded guilty on Monday, December 9, 2019 to one count of Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree, a Class “A” misdemeanor.

As part of his sentence, Judge Haendiges issued a no-contact order of protection of behalf of the victim.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Christopher H. Gresham of the DA’s Buffalo City Court Bureau.